Frequently Asked Questions

A Revocable Living Trust and a Will are two very different things. 

In brief:

A Revocable Living Trust can:

• Avoid a conservatorship and guardianship by allowing you to authorize a trusted person (i.e. spouse, partner, child, etc) to manage your assets should you become incapacitated and unable to manage your own affairs. 
• Bypass probate. 
• Maintains privacy. Wills become public documents; trusts are not.

A Will can:

• Name guardians for minor children.

Both Wills and Revocable Living Trusts can:

•  Allow for revisions
• Name beneficiaries (Trusts must be "funded" to  transfer assets)

A trust is a living document. Your life is continually changing. The type or amount of assets may have changed, you have additions to the family, or deaths. 

Keep in mind Congress is continually changing the rules, so we are reviewing and adjusting to the new rules every year.
It is a good rule of thumb to have your estate plan reviewed at least every three years to make sure that it is still going to work the may you had intended. 

Wealth is nice, however, proper estate planning is about more than money. A proper estate plan should also prepare for incapacity, allowing you the opportunity to appoint someone to act on your behalf for financial and medical purposes. Without proper documents appointing these individuals, your family will have to petition the court to do so in the event of incapacity. Such petitions can be very costly and exceptionally time-consuming.